Secondary clock-movement.



F. S. ATKINSON. SECONDARY CLOCK MOVEMENT. \APPLICATI'ON HLED NOV. 12, 1913.

1,141,752. Patented June 1, 1915.

Witnesses. m 32 Inventor.

%.MJL& Fred 5. Atkinson,

THE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PNOTD-LITNlJ" WASMINGION. a C4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED S. ATKINSON, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SECONDARY CLOCK-MOVEMENT.

Application filed November 12, 1913.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, FRED S. ATKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Secondary Clock-Movements, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to so-called secondary clock movements, by which is meant a mechanism actuated from a master clock at predetermined intervals of time for advancing the hands of a secondary clock. These secondary clock movements are com monly electrically actuated, such secondary movements being provided with a magnet which is energized at predetermined intervals of time,say at intervals of one minute, the alternating energizing and denergizing of the magnet operating to actuate the secondary clock movement.

The objects of my present invention are to provide a simple secondary clock movement which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is provided with means whereby the clock train of the secondary movement is normally locked but at each impulse is momentarily released, moved forward and then looked again so that the clock train is unlocked only during the small interval of time during which it is being given its forward impulse, and which has other features of improvement all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give a proper understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof without, however, intending to limit the invention to the constructional details shown.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front View of a clock embodying my invention with a portion of the face of the clock broken out to better show the secondary movement; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detail views of the secondary movement; Fig. 5 is a section on the line a2x Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in the position which they occupy when the magnet is energized. I

The secondary clock is shown generally at 1 and it is provided with the usual clock face 2 and minute and hour hands 3 and 4. The minute hand 3 is frictionally mounted Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Serial No. 800,690.

in the usual manner on an arbor 6 on which is mounted a gear 5 by which the arbor is driven. The hour hand 4 is driven from the friction sleeve of the minute hand through a train of gearing 7 as usual in clock movements.

The gear 5 meshes with and is driven from a driving pinion 8 which is mounted on a shaft 9 and this driving pinion is intermittently actuated by means of a novel mechanism which will be presently described, from a vibrating actuator 10 that is pivoted to the clock frame at 11-. The vibrating actuator 10 can be given its vibratory movement in any suitable way and as hereinillustrated I have provided the actuating magnet 12 and have formed one end 13 of the actuator 10 as an armature for the magnet. This magnet 12 is periodically energized by means of a circuit which is closed and opened at predetermined intervals of time by mechanism associated with the master clock. These intervals of time may be any desired length, but usually in secondary clocks of this kind the actuating magnet, if one is employed, is energized and deenergized at intervals of a minute.

The upper end 14 of the actuator 10 is forked and each arm of the fork has an actuating finger or projection extending therefrom, these projections being designated 15 and 16 respectively. Said actuating projections operate to intermittently move a star wheel 17 which is situated between the projections and is rotatably mounted on a shaft 18. This star wheel 17 is provided with teeth 19 each of which is provided with an inclined face 20, and with the notch 22 between each two teeth. The teeth are so constructed that upon the movement of the actuator to the right, Fig. 3, or into the position shown in Fig. 6 the finger 15 thereof will engage the inclined face 20 of one tooth thereby turning the star wheel forwardly, the projection 16 at this time being carried beyond the periphery of the teeth. This is the movement given to the actuator when the magnet 12 is energized. The movement of the actuator in the opposite direction into the position shown in Fig. 3 brings the projection 16 against the inclined face 20 of another tooth which has been properly positioned by the above movement of the star wheel, and thus gives said star wheel a further forward movement, said projection 16 coming to rest in one of the notches 22 and thus locking the star wheel from movement. This movement of the actuator to the left, Fig. 3 is that which is given by the spring 31 and Fig. 3 shows the normal position of the parts. lVith this construction the star wheel 17 will be moved forward the distance of one tooth at each complete vibration of the actuator 10.

The star wheel 17 is connected to the driving pinion S by an intermittent gearing which is so constructed that normally the pinion 8 is locked from movement, but said pinion becomes unlocked and is advanced and then locked again during each forward step of the star wheel 17. This intermittent gearing comprises a locking member 23 and a driving member in the form of a toothed disk 21, both of which are rigid with the star wheel 17. The toothed wheel 2 1 is provided with a plurality of teeth 25 there being one tooth for each tooth 19 of the star wheel, said teeth 25 being spaced a considerable distance apart. These teeth cooperate with a gear member 26 rigid with the driving pinion 8. The teeth of the gear 26 are considerably closer together than the teeth 25 so that the disk 2% has a greater extent of movement than the gear 26. The locking member 23 is provided on its periphery with a plurality of separated locking portions 27, there being one such portion for each tooth 19 of the star wheel and each locking portion having a concentric periphery. These look ing portions are separated by notches 28. The gear 26 has rigid therewith a member 29 provided with a series of concave faces 30 adapted to lit the periphery of the locking portions 27.

ll hen the parts are in their normal position, one of the locking portions 27 occupies one of the concave portions 30 of the member 29 as shown in Fig. 3 and the spring 31 holds the actuating finger 16 against the star wheel 17 and thus locks said wheel. When the magnet is energized the actuator is thrown to the right, Fig. 3, thus bringing the finger against the inclined surface 20 of a tooth of the star wheel and moving the star wheel forwardly into the position shown in Fig. When the magnet is deenergized again the spring 31 returns the actuator to the position shown in Fig. 3 and during this return movement of the actuator the actuating finger 16 thereof engages the inclined face 20 of a tooth 19, thus giving the star wheel 17 and gear member 24 their final forward movement. During the initial forward movement of the star wheel the locking portion 27 is carried out from looking engagement with the concave face 30, thus releasing the driving pinion 8, and then a tooth 25 of the toothed disk 2% is brought into mesh with the gear member 26. The gearing is so constructed that during this initial forward movement of the star wheel the gear member 26 is moved forward one half of the distance of one tooth thereof. During the final forward movement of the star wheel and toothed member 24: the gear member 26 and driving pinion S are given their final forward movement and as soon as the teeth 25 pass out of engagement with the gear member 26, then said gear member comes to rest and the locking portion 27 is carried into locking engagement with one of the concave faces 30 of the member 29 as seen in Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that each forward movement of the star wheel 17 operates first to unlock the driving pinion 8, then to advance said pinion, then to lock said pinion again; and it will furthermore be seen that the movement or" the pinion S is comparatively rapid as it occurs during the small portion of time during which the star wheel 17 is moving. Furthermore the actuating finger operates to lock the star wheel in each of the two extreme positions of the actuator by reason of their occupying the notches 22.

For maintaining the holding members 23 and 29 and the toothed members 21 and 26 in proper relative position without the necessity of making any accurate adjustment of the shafts 9 and 18, I propose to provide means associated with the star wheel 17 for holding the gear member 26 and member 29 in proper position.

As herein illustrated the locking member 23 and the toothed member 24 are rigid with each other but are spaced apart thus providing a groove 32 between them and the members 26, 29 have rigid therewith a positioning disk or flange 33 which fits into said groove 32.

The members 23, 24 are loosely mounted on the shaft 18 and can, therefore, assume any position on said shaft which is determined by the position of the members 26, 29. The advantage of this construction is that no fine adjustment of the shaft 18 is required to keep the parts of the gearing properly in mesh with each other without binding as would be the case if the members 23, 24L were fast on the shaft 18 and were held in proper position by the position of the shaft. p

The gear 26, positioning flange 33 and member 29 may conveniently be made as integral parts of a single element by the die casting process, but this is not suited to the invention. Similarly the star wheel 17 locking member 23 and toothed disk 21 may conveniently be made integral with each other by the same process, but I desire to state that the invention is not limited to any particular manner of making these parts.

While I have illustrated herein one embodiment of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a clock train, of a driving pinion by which said clock train is operated, a star wheel situated exterior to the clock train and supported independently thereof, a vibrating actuator acting directly on the star wheel to give the latter an interniittent rotary movement, and an intermittent gearing between said star wheel and driving gear arranged to move the driving gear forward at each forward movement of the star wheel. I

2. In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a clock train, of a driving pinion by which said clock train is operated, a toothed member exterior to the driving gear supported independently thereof, a vibrating actuator for intermittently moving the tooth member, and an intermittent gearing connecting the tooth member and driving pinion by which the driving pinion is given a forward movement at each forward movement of the tooth member, and means normally locking the driving pinion from movement which means is rendered inoperative during the initial forward movement of the tooth member and is rendered operative again during the final forward movement.

3. In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a clock train, of a driving pinion by which said clock train is operated, a gear member connected with the driving pinion, a rotary toothed member to intermittently advance the gear member, a vibrating actuator to intermittently rotate the toothed member, a locking member rigid with the toothed member and having separated concentric locking portions and a member rigid with the gear member and provided with concave portions to fit the locking portions of the locking member.

4. In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a vibrating actuator having separated actuating fingers, of a star wheel situated between said fingers and provided with teeth which are engaged by said fingers for intermittently advancing said star wheel, a toothed member rigid with the star wheel, a gear member actuated by the toothed member, a driving pinion rigid with the gear member and a locking member rigid with the star wheel and normally locking the gear member from movement, said locking member releasing the gear member during its initial forward movement to permit the gear member to be advanced and then relocking said gear member during the final forward movement.

5. In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a clock train, of a driving pinion by which said clock train is operated, a toothed member for giving said driving pinion an intermittent movement, a shaft on which said toothed member is loosely mounted, a vibrating actuator for intermittently moving the toothed member, intermittent gearing between said toothed member and said driving pinions and means associated with said gearing for holding the toothed member in proper position on its shaft.

6. In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a clock train, of a driving pinion by which said clock train is operated, a gear member connected with the driving pinion, a rotary toothed member to intermittently advance the gear member, a vibrating actuator to intermittently rotatethe toothed member, a locking member rigid with the toothed member and having separated concentric locking portions, a member rigid with the gear member and provided with concave portions to fit the locking portions of the locking member, a shaft on which the locking member and toothed member are loosely mounted and means associated with the gear member to maintain the locking and toothed members in proper position on their shaft.

7 In a secondary clock movement, the combination with a clock train, of a driving pinion by which said clock train is operated, a gear member connected with the driving pinion, a rotary toothed member to intermittently advance the gear member, a vibrating actuator to intermittently rotate the toothed member, a locking member rigid with the toothed member and having separated coneentric locking portions, a member rigid with the gear member and provided with concave portions to fit the locking portions of the locking member, said member and gear being spaced from each other, a shaft on which said members are loosely mounted and a positioning disk associated with the gear member and fitting the space between the locking and toothed members thereby to hold them in proper position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED S. ATKINSON.

IVitnesses:

Louis 0. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

